Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Bully!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a strong suspiscion that Violet's father was a Rough Rider. As I was looking through newspaper clippings for information on something or other, I ran across an obituary for Catherine Bunker from Merrick. You may be thinking at this point "so what". I know I would be thinking that. Catherine Bunker lived around the corner from the house I grew up in , long before I was born. The story goes , before the land was developed , her house was broken into. The thieves , teenage boys , stole a sword and an urn with her ashes. They ran into the woods where my house now is and started fighting over the sword. They urn with the ashes went flying into the stream and that is now where Catherine lies. Ok , so you are still thinking "so what". Mr. Bunker was a Rough Rider. That sword was his Rough Rider sword < ok thats not the name of it>. Here is the "what"...while Merrick and Brooklyn are quite a bit aways from each other and quite overpopulated now at the time they were both rural. My great great grandfather John J. Flynn , assuming he was a Rough Rider , probably knew Mr. Bunker. And while I know the story of Catherine's ashes I did not know Mr. Bunker was a Rough Rider until my father told me a few days ago. It seems lately everywhere I turn it leads me to the Rough Riders.

Here is a record I found of John J. Flynn's service:

Flynn , John J. - Age 28 years. Enlisted , May 2, 1898 at New York city , to serve two years; mustered in as private, Co. A , May 17 , 1898; mustered out with company , November 15, 1898, at New York city.